Composite tilting bodied railway car

ABSTRACT

A composite tilting bodied railway car comprising two tanks that are constructed to be independently elevated to an inclined position by a single hydraulic unit for injection and discharge of material thereinto and therefrom.

United States Patent William A. Keene [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor Bartlesvllle, Okla.

n u m mmmm m a nem a nn o .m WKBMS 80945 5566 99999 11111 88907 1 34370 34 35 .3 .3 40623 72059 2233 m. C 9 m 61 97 19c #19- .U7 23m. Lm m 3u 81A? 0. dc mm L no w .da AFPA 1.111. 253 2247 [ill COMPOSITE TILTING BODIED RAILWAY CAR Primary Examiner-Arthur L. LaPoint Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran Atlarney-Young and Quigg 2 Chims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl

105/263, 105/273, 105/360, 298/8 R, 298/17 56, 298/22 P B61d 5/02, B6ld 9/02, B6ld 9/10 [50] Field of [51] Int."

ABSTRACT: A composite tilting bodied railway car compris- 105/261,

ing two tanks that are constructed to be independently elevated to an inclined position by a single hydraulic unit for injection and discharge of material thereinto and therefrom.

262, 263, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 261 A, 308 R; 298/8, 22, 22 P, 8 R, 17 SG PAIENIED we 3m 3 596,610

SHEET 1 or 2 llll/llllllllll F IG.

INVENTOR. W.A. K E EN E A T TORNEVS PATENTED AUG 3 l97l SHEU 2 BF 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

A T TOR/VEYS COMPOSITE TILTING BODIED RAILWAY CAR This invention relates to a composite railway car. In another aspect, this invention relates to a composite railway car having improved loading and unloading characteristics.

Railway cars heretofore utilized to ship materials comprising a multitude of individual relatively small particles were exceedingly difficult to properly fill and required a great expenditure of labor to properly empty and adequately clean. In order to improve filling operations, cars were constructed with a plurality of fill holes formed on the top of each car. This required additional maintenance, material, and higher construction costs and only reduced voidage along the upper portion of the tank. Some tank cars were later constructed that had detachable or fixedly attached hydraulic units mounted on the side of each car for tilting one end of the car during discharge of the material from the tank. Mounting of the hydraulic means on the sides of the cars reduced the capacity of the tank owing to the height and breadth-limitations placed on railway cars. The utilimtion of a single hydraulic unit for each car was prohibitively expensive to manufacture, required a great deal of maintenance, and was not satisfactorily rugged.

- It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a composite railway car having two tanks. Another object of this invention of the above described type is to provide a single hydraulic system which will serve two tanks of the composite car. Yet another object of the invention of the above described type is to provide a car with improved loading and unloading characteristics. A further object of this invention is to provide greater stability to the car during loading and unloading operations. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the disclosure, the appended claims, and the drawing. in the:

drawing,

FIG. 1 is a side view of the composite railway car of this invention with the associated hydraulic means.

FIG. 2 is an end view of the hydraulic means shown in FlG. 1.

H6. 3 is an enlarged view of a keeper means of the tanks.

Referring to FlG. l, a supporting structure 2 has first and second portions 4, 6 each with first and second end portions 12, 26 and a middle portion 8, each supported by sets of conventional railway wheels 10. The first and second portions 4, 6 are articulated at the middle portion for movement of one portion relative to the other. The supporting structure 2 is constructed of metal members and associated supporting elements known in the art. A first tank 16 having first and second end portions 18, 20 is pivotally attached at the first end portion 18 to the first end portion 12 of the first portion 4 of the supporting structure 2 by a pivot means 22 for movement of the first tank 16 between a first position (shown by solid lines) at which said first tank is substantially horizontal and resting upon the first portion 4 of the supporting structure 2 and a second position (shown by broken lines) at which the second end portion 20 of said first tank 16 is spaced from the supporting structure and located at a position higher in elevation than the first end portion 18. A second tank 24 having first and second end portions 26, 28 is pivotally attached atthe first end portion 26 to the second end portion 14 of the second portion 6 of the supporting structure 2 by pivot means 22 for movement of the second tank 24 between the first position (shown) at which said second tank is substantially horizontal, resting upon the second portion 6 of the supporting structure 2 with the second end portion 28 of the second tank 24 adjacent the second end portion 20 of the first tank 16 and a second position (not shown) at which the second end portion 28 of said second tank 24 is spaced from the supporting structure'2 and located at a position higher in elevation than the first end portion 26. Each of the tanks 16, 24 are substantially the same length or preferably longer than the single tank railway cars presently utilized and are generally of rectangular configuration. A fill port 30 is formed on the second end portion 20, 28 of each tank 16, 24 adjacent the roof panel 32. Preferably, the

fill port 30 is formed at a location on each tank that is the uppermost portion of the tank when that tank is at its second position. A drain port 34 is formed on the first end portion 18, 26 of each tank 16, 24 adjacent the tank floor 36. Preferably, the drain port 34 is formed at a location on each tank that is the lowermost portion Of the tank when that tank is at its second position. By so constructing the fill and drain ports 30, 34 at the preferred locations, each tankcan be completely filled while positioned at its second position thereby eliminating voids adjacent the roof panel 32. The material contained within the tanks can be substantially completely removed from the car in the second position of the car thereby avoiding hand cleaning as was heretofore necessary. One or more keeper means 38, such as a bracket 56 and retaining rod 58 for example, is removably attached to the second end portion 20, 28 of each tank 16, 24 to lock and maintain the tanks in the first position during movement of the composite car and maintain one of the tanks at the first position during movement of the other tank between the first and second positions, or while the other tank is at an elevated position. The keeper means can be attached to the supporting structure 2 or to the means mounted on the middle portion of the supporting structure that is utilized for moving each tank between the first and second position or to the other portions of the composite car which will maintain the tank at the first position.

Referring to FIG. 2 a single hydraulic unit, generally referred to by number 40, is mounted on the middle portion 8 of the supporting structure 2 between the adjacent second end portions 20, 28 of the tanks 16, 24 and is attached to the second end of both tanks. The hydraulic unit comprises at least one telescoping cylinder 42, a fluid reservoir 44, and a fluid pump 46 in communication with the reservoir 44 and the cylinder 42 for moving fluid from the reservoir into the cylinder to cause said cylinder to extend and move one of the tanks by a cable 60 passed over said cylinder from the first to second position. In order to provide additional stability to the composite car operation and reduce the loads placed on the cylinder and the pump, it is preferred that there are two telescoping cylinders which are maintained parallel relative to each other and extend and retract in unison powered by a common power source. It is also preferred that the pump be an electrically powered pump for simplicity, compactness, and to avoid the transportation of infammable fluids on each composite car. Means are provided for passing fluid from the cylinder into the reservoir to cause said cylinder to retract and move one of the tanks through the cable 60 from the second to the first position.

As shown in FIG. 2, the elevation means in its retracted position is at a lower elevation than the roof panels 32 of the tanks 16, 24 and the width of said elevation means is less than the width of each tank 16, 24. The reservoir 44, pump 46, and cylinders 42 are also positioned in close relative position thereby avoiding long-length high-pressure hydraulic fluid lines that can be damaged during operation of the composite car.

Pivot means 48 is utilized to attach the cylinders 42 to the middle portion 8 of the supporting structure 2 for movement of the upper portion of the cylinder in a direction toward the first end portion 18 or 26 of the tank 16 or 24 during movement of a tank for the first to the second position and in a direction toward the other tank of the composite car during movement of the elevated tank from the second to the first position. In order to stabilize the composite car during movement of one of the tanks, a jack 52 is attached to each side of the middle portion 8 of. thesupporting structure 2 for movement from a retracted position (shown by broken lines) spaced from underlying railway ties 54 to an extended position (shown) at which position a portion of each jack is forcefully engaging said. ties lt is preferred that each of the jacks 52 be hand-operated-mechanical jacks in order that the composite can be of simple construction. The jacks 52 may, however, by hydraulically operated and associated with the fluid reservoir 44 and pump 46.

For additional stability, it is preferred, as shown in H65, 1 and 2, that cars 62 be attached to the second end portion of each tank for insertion at the first position of the tanks into slots 66 of a horizontal bar 64 fixedly attached to the cylinder 42.

In the operation of the composite car of this invention, the first end portion 18 or 26 of one of the tanks 16 or 24 is positioned above a material receptacle and the jacks 52 are moved into forcible contact with the ties 54. The keeper means 38 and thedrain port 34 on, for example, the first tank 16 are unlatched. Opening of the drain port 34 results in substantial amounts of material passing from the first tank 16. An electrical power source is thereafter connected to the pump 46 and the first tank 16 is moved by the telescoping cylinders 42 from the first to the second position at which substantially all the material passes from the tank. During elevation of the first tank 16 to the second position, the cylinder 42 pivots and the upper portion 50 of said cylinder moves toward the first end portion 18 of the first tank 16 to decrease the moment of the force exerted on said tank. After the first tank is emptied, the fluid within the cylinder 42 is passed to the reservoir 44 thereby causing the cylinder to retract and the first tank 16 to move from the second to the first position. In a like manner, the materials contained within the second tank 24 can be discharged. During filling operations, each tank 16 is separately raised to the second position, as described above, and material is injected into the tank through the fill port 30 of that tank. Other modification and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing discussion and accompanying drawing, and it should be understood that this invention is not to be unduly limited thereto.

1 claim: 1. A composite railway car, comprising: a supporting structure having first and second portions, a

middle portion, and first and second end portions; a first tank having first and second end portions with ports opening on the first and second end portions and being pivotally attached at the first end portion to the first end portion of the first portion of the supporting structure for movement between a first position at which said tank is substantially horizontal and resting upon the supporting structure and a second position at which the second end portion of said tank is located at a position higher in elevation than the first end portion and the port on said second end portion is at the uppermost elevation and the port on thefirst end portion is at the lowermost elevation for filling and emptying the tank;

a second tank having first and second end portions with ports opening on the first and second end portions and being pivotally attached at the first end portion to the second end portion of the second portion of the supporting structure for movement between a first position at which said second tank is substantially horizontal and resting upon the supporting structure with the second end portion of the second tank adjacent the second end portion of the first tank and a second position at which the second end portion of the second tank is located at a position higher in elevation than the first end portion of said second tank and the port on said second end portion is at the uppermost elevation and the port on the first end portion is at the lowermost elevation for filling and emptying the tank;

means mounted on the middle portion of the supporting structure and attached to the second end portion of the first and second tanks for selectively moving said tanks between the first and second positions;

a separate jack attached to each side of the middle portion of the supporting structure for movement from a retracted position to an extended position at which a portion of each jack is stabilizing said composite railway car;

and at least one keeper comprising a bracket and a retaining rod and being removably attached to the second end portion of each tank and to the adjacent supporting structure for maintaining the tanks at their first position. 2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each jack is a mechanical jack. 

1. A composite railway car, comprising: a supporting structure having first and second portions, a middle portion, and first and second end portions; a first tank having first and second end portions with ports opening on the first and second end portions and being pivotally attached at the first end portion to the first end portion of the first portion of the supporting structure for movement between a first position at which said tank is substantially horizontal and resting upon the supporting structure and a second position at which the second end portion of said tank is located at a position higher in elevation than the first end portion and the port on said second end portioN is at the uppermost elevation and the port on the first end portion is at the lowermost elevation for filling and emptying the tank; a second tank having first and second end portions with ports opening on the first and second end portions and being pivotally attached at the first end portion to the second end portion of the second portion of the supporting structure for movement between a first position at which said second tank is substantially horizontal and resting upon the supporting structure with the second end portion of the second tank adjacent the second end portion of the first tank and a second position at which the second end portion of the second tank is located at a position higher in elevation than the first end portion of said second tank and the port on said second end portion is at the uppermost elevation and the port on the first end portion is at the lowermost elevation for filling and emptying the tank; means mounted on the middle portion of the supporting structure and attached to the second end portion of the first and second tanks for selectively moving said tanks between the first and second positions; a separate jack attached to each side of the middle portion of the supporting structure for movement from a retracted position to an extended position at which a portion of each jack is stabilizing said composite railway car; and at least one keeper comprising a bracket and a retaining rod and being removably attached to the second end portion of each tank and to the adjacent supporting structure for maintaining the tanks at their first position.
 2. An apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each jack is a mechanical jack. 